barter

1 of 2

verb

bar·​ter ˈbär-tər How to pronounce barter (audio)
bartered; bartering; barters

intransitive verb

: to trade by exchanging one commodity for another : to trade goods or services in exchange for other goods or services
farmers bartering for supplies with their crops
bartered with the store's owner

transitive verb

: to trade or exchange by or as if by bartering
bartering work for food
barterer noun

barter

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act or practice of trading goods or services for other goods or services : the act or practice of carrying on trade by bartering
2
: goods or services that are traded for other goods or services : the thing given in exchange in bartering

Examples of barter in a Sentence

Noun The tribes use a system of barter. The explorers used blankets and other supplies for barter to get food from the native people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Hyperinflation in Yugoslavia caused people to barter for goods instead of using the country's currency, which would be replaced by the German mark to stabilize the economy. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 There’s no minimart on the island, and locals still barter instead of using currency in some of the remote villages. Livia Hengel, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Mind you, Dorinda is a foster kid who’s bartering for dance classes by picking up cleaning shifts at the local rec centre. Mekita Rivas, refinery29.com, 15 Aug. 2023 Conestoga wagons were developed by local carpenters and blacksmiths to carry goods, including farm produce and items bartered from Native Americans, to markets in Philadelphia. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 My two-bedroom flat in Barcelona was bartered for a townhouse in Brooklyn, romantic studio in Milan, park-facing pied-à-terre in Madrid, city escapes in London, and even a penthouse in Paris with views of the Sacré-Coeur. Sarah Wood, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2024 At Condé Nast, ninety-four unionized employees are on a layoff list, technically still employed as the union tries to barter to save jobs and increase severance packages; in January, roughly four hundred of its unionized workers walked off the job for a day. Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2024 Producer Brian Teta revealed on the series' companion Behind the Table podcast that, during a recent audience Q&A, the 81-year-old comedian bartered for eyewear worn by a woman watching the show's broadcast live in the studio. EW.com, 8 Nov. 2023 Democrats also complained that Biden gave in to McCarthy and bartered over the nation’s debt ceiling. Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023
Noun
Cartier recalled to me that the painter’s half-brother Wolf Morrisseau once needed money for eyeglasses, and Morrisseau wondered if the optometrist would accept paintings as barter. Jordan Michael Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024 Moreover, Iran’s deep roots in ancient trade networks and its adept use of traditional barter systems and underground financial networks like Hawala and Siraj further dilute the effectiveness of traditional economic sanctions. Armstrong Williams, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2024 Post Capitalism: Burning Man experiments with governance, policy and trade (barter and gifting are common). Sarah Davanzo, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2023 In Sri Lanka, extravagant projects undertaken by the government, from ports to cricket stadiums, helped drive the country into bankruptcy last year as citizens scavenged for food and the central bank, in a barter arrangement, paid for Iranian oil with tea leaves. Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 18 June 2023 Whereas the traditional account puts barter before money and money before debt, Graeber reverses this, noting that barter tends to only emerge in pre-industrialized societies when exchange happens outside of a familiar cultural context. John Patrick Leary, The New Republic, 6 Aug. 2021 Curious visitors could wander aboard, witness a sustainable system in action and maybe barter beer for eggs with its residents. Zoë Lescaze, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2022 While some might not have specific lists nor be open to all kinds of barter, others may ask for everything from knitting, food blogging, comic book illustrations, or even help with olive oil production. Talia Avakian, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023 Some of them were even apparent barter deals with individual Chinese companies for stakes in DRC’s copper, gold, and cobalt mines. Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 10 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English bartren, from Anglo-French *bareter to do business, exchange, alteration of Old French barater — more at barratry

Noun

Middle English, noun derivative of bartren "to barter entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of barter was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near barter

Cite this Entry

“Barter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barter. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

barter

1 of 2 verb
bar·​ter ˈbärt-ər How to pronounce barter (audio)
: to trade one thing for another without the use of money
barterer noun

barter

2 of 2 noun
: the exchange of goods without the use of money

Legal Definition

barter

1 of 2 intransitive verb
bar·​ter ˈbär-tər How to pronounce barter (audio)
: to trade by exchanging one commodity or service for another

transitive verb

: to trade or exchange by or as if by bartering compare sell

barter

2 of 2 noun
: the art or practice of carrying on trade or exchange by or as if by bartering : exchange of one commodity or service for another compare sale

More from Merriam-Webster on barter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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